"The Secretary-General is increasingly concerned by the human rights and humanitarian impact of the recent demolitions of what the Government of Zimbabwe has called illegal settlements," a UN spokeswoman, Marie Okabe, said at the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

Ms. Tibaijuka conducted an exhaustive examination, with the cooperation of the Zimbabwean Government, Ms. Okabe said. Mr. Annan would receive Ms. Tibaijuka's report in the coming days, would study it to determine the UN's next steps and would make it public after Zimbabwe's Government had received its copy, she added.